320 PENTANDRIA. PENTAGYNIA. Sibbaldia. 



SIBBA'LDIA, Cat \ 0- cleft : petals 5, fixed to the 



calyx : styles from the sides of the germen : 

 seeds 5, naked. 



procum'bens. S. Leafits with 3 teeth. 



■ 



Dicks, h. s.-FL dan. o2-Penn. <voy. ii. 5, at f. 43~Pluk. 

 212. Z-Pet. 41. 7* 



small insect to fly very closely imprisoned therein, which occasioned some 

 •astonishment, to me at Least, how it happened to get into that confined 

 situation. Afterwards, on Mr. Whatcly's centrically pressing with a pin 

 other leaves, yet in their natural and expanded form, we observed a re- 

 markable sudden and elastic spring of the leaves, so as to become inverted 

 upwards, and as it were encircling the pin, which evidently shewed the 

 method by which the fly came into its embarrassing situation. This ex- 

 periment was renewed repeatedly, and with the same effect, so that Mr. 

 <«. Whately and myself are both certain of the fact. ' ' 



Two or three years after Mr. Whately had sent me an account of his 

 discovery, I was much pleased to find the following account of theDrosera 

 in a German author, which, though it differs in some respects from the 

 observations of Mr. Whately and Mr. Gardom, yet upon the whole it 

 tends further to illustrate the singular properties of these curious plants : 



*' J^ly» i?79- Dro>. rotundifoliaixidi D. Iongifolia. — I remarked that 

 many leaves were folded together from the point towards the base, and that 

 all the hairs were bent like a bow, but there was no apparent change on * 

 the leaf- stalk. Upon opening these leaves I found in each a dead insect. 

 Hence I imagined that this plant, which has some resemblance to the 

 Dionaea muscipula, might also have a similar moving power. 



" With a pair of plyers I placed an ant upon the middle of a leaf of 

 the D. rotunditblia, but so as not to disturb the plant. The ant endea- 

 voured to escape, but wac held fast by the clammy juice at the points of 

 the hairs, which was drawn out by its feet into fine threads. In some mi- 

 nutes the short hairs on the disk of the leaf began to bend, then the long 

 hairs, and laid themselves upon the insect. After a while the leal be- 

 gan to bend, afftl in some hours the end of the leaf was so bent inwards as 

 to touch the base. The ant died in 15 minutes, which was before all the 

 hairs had bent themselves. On repeating this experiment, 1 found the 

 effects to follow sooner or later, according to the state of the weather. At 

 * 1 in the morning, a small fly placed in the centre of a leaf, died sooner 

 than the ant had done, the hairs bent themselves as before, and at 5 in the 

 evening the leaf was bent together, and held the fly shut up. The same 

 experiment being made on the D. Iongifolia, the same effects followed, 

 but more rapidly. >I observed, that in sultry weather, and hot sunshine, 

 ■when the drops of juice upon the points of the hairs are largest, the expe- 

 riment succeeds best. If the insect be a small one, sometimes only one 

 edge of the leaf is folded up ; hence it should seem necessary that the in- 

 sect should stir ail the hairs of the leaf. " — Roth. Bev trog. p. 64. 



These accounts will, 1 hope, occasion numerous observations to be 

 made upon this British fly-trap, which so nearly approaches in its won- 

 derful properties to the Dion., muscipula, or Venus Fly-trap, a native ot 

 the bogs of Carolina. It is natural to enquire w hether this destruction or 

 msects be not necessary to the welfare of the plant > It is obvious that 

 the experiments should be mafle upon weU-g*ow 11 vigorous plants in a fine 

 ' day, as then the drops of adhesive liquor at the ends of the hairs are al- 

 ways the largest. 



It may be useful to remark, that these plants are not to be found with* 

 out a pretty close inspection of the bogs they grow in, as they are inucn 

 covered by, and entangled with. moss. 



